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IndyCar tweaks push-to-pass system for Sonoma

Simon Pagenaud was among the drivers critical of the push-to-pass boost system after its 2012 debut at Mid-Ohio. Photo by LAT PHOTOGRAPHIC

IndyCar has modified the activation delay of the push-to-pass overtake assist system for this week’s IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Sonoma, trimming the interval from 5 to 3.5 seconds.

A total of 90 seconds will be afforded drivers, with a maximum of 15 seconds per activation. There’s no recharge time between activations.

“All parameters of the push-to-pass system can be tailored to fit any circuit that play[s] host to Izod IndyCar Series races,” said IndyCar Director of Engine Development Trevor Knowles. “Sonoma has shorter straightaways than what we had at Mid-Ohio, so we’ve adjusted the parameters of push-to-pass to fit this particular circuit. But the principles for use that were in place for Mid-Ohio have remained the same for Sonoma.”

The overtake assist feature, introduced to the series in 2009, allows a driver to add turbocharger boost and additional rpms with the press of a button on the steering wheel. When the system is engaged, the turbocharger boost increases a car’s performance with an additional 200 rpms on the 2.2-liter V6 engines supplied by Chevrolet, Honda and Lotus.

The system has been utilized at Toronto and Edmonton with the activation delay introduced at Mid-Ohio. Teams had the opportunity to test the system with the delay during the private test day at Sonoma on Aug. 17.

Following the IndyCar stop at Mid-Ohio, drivers said that the system was in need of a tweak.

Will Power, who finished second at Mid-Ohio, was less than happy with the push-to-pass system at that track.

"I think it was stupid, honestly," he said. "The way they got it, you have to have a certain throttle percentage. You'd hit it and get in the corner and it would unclick itself. It was useless. Honestly, I didn't find it useful at all."

Third-place finisher Simon Pagenaud also felt that some work needed to be done on the system after his experience with it at Mid-Ohio.

"The problem is the previous push-pass we had was good. You could use it in a defensive way," he said. "But the problem is when people are coming out of the pits and you're fighting with them, you hit push-pass going into turn two and if you touch the throttle and then come back off of it just a touch, it shuts itself down. So you can't pass."